"I agree that today is an important day in the history of India's independence. All of us should unite and fight for social and economic justice. I feel that we should pledge to make our country free from fear, hunger, terror and corruption and in order to make our country prosperous and powerful, people from all castes, creed and religion must unite and work together and on the occasion of Republic Day, I congratulate the people of this nation," said Gadkari.

He added that it was wrong for politicians to play the caste card with the motive of garnering votes during the elections.

Gadkari stated that the members of the drafting committee of the Constitution laid down certain clauses to be followed by the nation with an aim to ensure that people from all religions live in peace and harmony.

"If we go according to the Constitution, then only it is correct. Like our Constitution says that reservation on the basis of religion is not acceptable. The drafting committee of the Constitution B R Ambedkar, Jawaharalal Nehru, Govind Ballabh Pant, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, they have said it in written and the records are available that reservation on the basis of religion should not be done, despite this, going against the Constitution, if such decisions are taken only for gaining a political mileage for vote bank politics, then the backward classes OBCs and scheduled castes would be affected," said Gadkari.

The Republic Day is observed to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution on 26 January, 1950.